People's war: Ukraine, Russia crowd-funding gear for troops

In one of combat zones against Russia, supply chief for a Ukrainian fighting brige places his online order for war supplies — a long list ranging from drones, trucks and rmal sights to batteries, generators and tape. y are needed, he writes, to equip two new battalions and “combat against armed aggression.”

In a makeshift supply depot in capital, Kyiv, crowd-funders start busying mselves with his request. ir bustle will get equipment to 72nd Brige within days, all paid for with public donations. In ir ramshackle office, a poster with Vietnam-era peace slogan exhorts: “Drop acid, Not bombs.”

With attritional combat devouring soldiers and resources, Ukraine is waging a people's war, fought away from front lines by self-starting networks of donors and volunteers. Tech-savvy systems y've thrown toger convert millions of dollars in donations into swift Amazon-like deliveries of war gear direct to battlefields. y're helping keep Ukraine in fight at a critical juncture of Russian invasion , as its better-supplied aggressor applies tremendous, grinding pressure on battlefields to east and south.

Civilian volunteering is also boosting morale, providing tangible proof to Ukrainians that y're toger in ir battle for survival, even if y don't have guns in ir hands . From grandmors cutting old clos into strips to make camouflage netting to bereaved girlfriend of a slain soldier who walked into supply depot after his burial saying she wanted to help, most everyone seems to be doing ir bit, big and small or by direct debit.

Civilian assistance for military effort has been a feature of Ukrainian resistance from Day 1 of Feb. 24 invasion, as ordinary folk dropped everything to help and raided ir bank accounts to equip hastily assembled new units. From modest beginnings, including telephone hotlines for donations that were immediately overwhelmed with calls, crowd-funding initiatives have matured into well-oiled machines. y have online payment systems and slick websites explaining ir needs, and volunteers apply ir expertise in civilian fields — logistics, technology, purchasing, electronics — to help get supplies into troops' hands.

Five months into invasion, creative fund-raising is also keeping money flowing in — belying notion that Ukrainians are losing interest and feeling less imperilled in uneasy peace that has returned to Kyiv and or cities since bly mauled Russian forces withdrew from north in April, refocusing on capturing Ukraine's eastern Donbas region.

An appeal last week by Ukrainian television personality and politician Serhiy Prytula for $15 million in donations to buy three Turkish-me Bayraktar combat drones went viral. He subsequently announced that he'd surged past target, raising $20 million — enough for four Bayraktars — in under three days.

His foundation is one of biggest crowd-funding initiatives. Among or, more unusual ones are women and men who send erotic photos of mselves as a reward to donors who can prove, with a receipt, that y gave to a war-support fund. “Teronlyfans” says its aim “is to incentivize donations for needs of Ukraine and reby bring our victory closer.” volunteers say y've helped raise $750,000 by baring all.

“We make sure that photos are not pornographic. This is beautiful, aestic erotica,” said Nastya Kuchmenko, one of group's co-founders. “It’s not about objectifying body, it’s about freedom to use your body as you want.”

"People want to be useful," she said.

On opposing side, some Russians, including soldiers' mors, also are getting supplies to troops. But Russian effort isn't as organized, massive and spontaneous, in part because Kremlin is downplaying scale, reach and cost of its invasion, insisting that it's a mere “military operation .”

United People’s Front, a Kremlin-created effort to foster public support for government, launched a crowd-funding campaign in early June, under slogan “All for Victory!”

“ guys on front line who are dying for right to be Russians, who are fighting for our common freedom, will greatly appreciate any help you can offer,” Mikhail Kuznetsov, a United People’s Front executive, said of drive for front-line gear and medicines. “y will win in any case, but y will win faster and with smaller casualties if we help m.”

On Ukrainian side, victory is goal, too.

foundation run by Prytula, TV personality, prioritizes its aid for units in combat hot spots. Unit commanders list ir needs and locations on an online form.

That's how “Tokha” — nom de guerre of quartermaster for 72nd Brige — submitted his order. Gear on his wish list hinted at ferocity of fighting around his location in east, with requests for 100 periscopes for peering from trenches, a dozen tablets pre-loed with software to correct artillery fire, and even wire — presumably for use as tripwires. Bigger-ticket items included six vans and pick-up trucks.

Convoys of vans, trucks and or vehicles, sourced second-hand from elsewhere in Europe, set off loed with gear every week from foundation's depot in Kyiv. Some vehicles are repainted in army green to make m battle-rey. ir front-line lives can be short: Two recently delivered ambulances lasted just two days before Russian bombs destroyed m.

foundation says it has raised more than $34 million since invasion began, mostly as donations — ranging from pennies to a businessman's gift in cryptocurrency of $1.3 million. foundation also auctioned Eurovision Song Contest trophy won and n donated by Ukrainian band Kalush Orchestra and raffled bright bucket hat worn by its frontman. Toger, y fetched $1.25 million.

foundation says it has fulfilled 2,200 orders from units in just last two months. On receiving end, troops or volunteers who make deliveries take photos to prove that aid is being used as intended.

“Ukrainians are a nation of volunteers and we can do unimaginable things toger,” said Maria Pysarenko, who works with Prytula. “It's also about not just fundraising but community-building and showing that, ‘Yes, we can.’"

Image: AP